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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Stimulus Scams Continue

Repeat after me: The Federal Government will not directly give me free money as part of the Stimulus Plan. Now, say it again and a third time just to make sure. I want this idea firmly in everyone’s head because there are scammers out there—some pretty sophisticated ones, too—that will try to get you to believe otherwise.

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Kim Fenolio
Kim Fenolio

Announcement: Kim Fenolio Guest Expert on Twitter Dos and Donts Discussion

Kim Fenolio will be leading a Twitter chat that answers questions about how to use Twitter the right way for business. She’ll cover DOs and DON’Ts on how to get and keep followers, get attention, make some money in the process and anything guests may want to talk about.

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Cheryl Sowa
Cheryl Sowa

Small Biz Tip: New Employee Orientation

The Small Business tips today will be about ways to orient new employees on their first day of the job.

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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Do We Really Need a Compensation Czar? Or Maybe a Different Kind of Czar?

In a wonderful example of having to play the King's tune when you take the King's shilling, the White House is expected to name Mr. Kenneth Feinberg as the "Special Master for Compensation." I could ask where in the Constitution President Obama gets the authority to do this, but we already know the answer to that one. The real question is this: Do we really need another czar, and for what?

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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

GM Bankruptcy: The Small Business Crisis Begins

While all the attention is focused on the long-awaited bankruptcy of General Motors, very little attention is being paid to those who will be hit hardest, the small businesses that provide parts and services to the auto giant or depend upon it in some way – and there is no talk of bailing them out!

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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

When Fluffy Flies First Class

Pets are great, aren’t they? They offer the companionship some crave, the unconditional love so rare in our human companions, and for a few they make for a great fashion accessory. We walk them, we feed them, we play with them and now, Southwest Airlines is allowing us to fly with them, right in the cabin. That is great, if it is your dog, but I think that Southwest is forgetting one thing—the other passengers!

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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Tax Credits Expand for Businesses Hiring Unemployed Veterans and Certain Youth

According to the IRS, any business that is planning to claim the newly-expanded work opportunity tax credit for eligible unemployed veterans and unskilled younger workers hired during the first part of 2009 has until August 17th to request the necessary certification required to be able to take the tax credits that come with hiring these workers.

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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

A Scrushy Lesson for All Business Leaders

Why are you in business? Is it to work hard and profit by offering the public something they need at a reasonable price? Or, are you in it for something else, for the glorification of your ego or to line your pockets with no regard as to where that money comes from? If you are in the first group, keep up the good work! If you are in the second, let the tale of Richard Scrushy be a warning to you.

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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Small Business Week: SBA National Small Business Person of the Year

A small business owner from Oklahoma City who battled a brain tumor and overcame challenges generated by 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina to lead her environmental remediation firm to success was today named National Small Business Person of the Year. State winners from Massachusetts and Hawaii are Runners-Up

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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Small Business Week: SBA Phoenix Award Winners

Every year the Small Business Administration issues special awards to outstanding small businesses and entrepreneurs. This year, the agency honored outstanding disaster recovery efforts with their coveted Phoenix Award.

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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Voting With Your Feet: Entrepreneur Quits New York

Tom Golisano, founder and board chairman of Paychex, Inc., is pulling up stakes, leaving New York and heading to Florida. Why? Taxes. Golisano, one of the wealthy job-creators whose taxes support the State of New York, is withdrawing that support and voting with his feet. Somehow, it is hard to imagine that he is heading out alone.

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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Credit Card Overhaul Passes Senate

The US Senate has passed sweeping credit card legislation aimed at reining in an industry that most Americans love to hate. The question is, however, what will the industry do in response?

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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Pulling into Their Shell: Advanta Shuts Down New Credit Purchases

Advanta, the small business credit card company, is going to extremes to protect itself during these economic hard times. If you have one of their cards, you won’t be able to use it by mid-June. What does that mean for you and is this a harbinger of things to come?

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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Obesity in the Workplace Becoming an Issue

When it comes to workers’ comp, obesity has always been a kind of taboo subject, but that is changing and both employers and underwriters are starting to take a close look at the costs associated with obesity.

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Charles M Cooper
Charles M Cooper

Terminations: Make Sure You’re Right, and then Go Ahead

When it comes to firing an employee, it’s a bit easier if that employee did something wrong. The tough part is, you better be able to prove your allegations so they stand up in court.

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